Rock the Boat
by deepfathom
Summary: Berk is settling into a peaceful, prosperous life under a new chief. Hiccup and Astrid have been happily married for over a year. Everything seems perfect...until the arrival of an unexpected gift stirs things up a bit.
1. Part 1

**Part One**

Something was off. Hiccup knew it from the moment Astrid woke up much later than usual that morning. Instead of rushing out with her for their daybreak ride, he watched her roll out of bed and shuffle around in a sleepy daze as sunlight came bursting through the windows.

"I'm fine," she snapped before he could open his mouth to ask.

It must have been the way he looked at her that gave him away. He sometimes found it frightening how she could already read him like an open book after only a year and a half of marriage.

"Just a little tired, that's all."

Hiccup wasn't convinced.

After halfheartedly poking at breakfast and pulling her hair into a loose, messy braid, Astrid mumbled something about being ready and they walked, not rushed, out the door.

On the top landing, Hiccup stretched and pulled in a deep, cleansing breath of cool air.

"What a day for flying, huh?"

"Mm," was all Astrid said, stomping down the steps.

Toothless, who had been enjoying a vigorous tug-of-war with Stormfly, ended it abruptly at the sight of the two approaching humans and bounded over to greet them.

"Hey, bud! You ready to…"

Instead of tackling his best friend in a shower of dragon spit as expected, the Night Fury galloped past him, heading straight for Astrid. She flinched at the oncoming mass of wings and muscle, a very un-Astrid-like reaction, but Toothless slowed deliberately, then began nuzzling her, crooning lovingly as Stormfly joined them.

"Toothless," she laughed, giving him a squeeze in return. "What's this about?"

"Good morning to you too," Hiccup said, voice dripping with feigned pouting. "Since when do you like her more than me?"

He took a step forward, then rapidly retreated several in the other direction as both dragons crouched protectively beside Astrid, baring their teeth and growling.

"Whoa, take it easy..." Hiccup held up a hand. "What's with you guys?"

"Stormfly, stop it," Astrid said, rubbing her dragon's snout. "It's just Hiccup. What's wrong with you today?"

With an apologetic squawk, the Nadder relaxed and dipped to the ground to let her rider climb aboard. Toothless, however, remained tense, eyes narrowed and teeth still visible. Thankfully the growl had dissipated somewhat.

Hiccup approached him cautiously, hand outstretched in the familiar dragon-bonding gesture. It had been a while since the last time he'd used it on his own dragon, which was more than a little troubling as he'd hoped he'd never have to again.

"What's the matter?" he pressed as the dragon inched forward and sniffed suspiciously at him, almost as if the two were barely acquainted. "You going feral on me?"

Toothless wasn't about to offer any answers and Hiccup was getting impatient and a bit annoyed with this odd behavior. It took a few tries to get the skittish dragon to stand still long enough for him to hop into the saddle. Even then it was a minute or two before the pair could agree on lifting off into into the sky after Stormfly and Astrid.

….

Only fifteen minutes later, they were back where they'd started. A very flustered Hiccup dismounted a very irritated Toothless and both hurried to Stormfly's side where a very droopy Astrid slid to the ground. It was a rare occurrence that their morning ride ended so soon and so abruptly. Even rarer that Astrid, of all people, should be the one to call it off. It might have had to do with the fact that Toothless had simply refused to fly more than twenty feet away from Stormfly at any time, causing problems for everyone involved, but the nauseated look on Astrid's face suggested another culprit might be at work.

"Ugh, I feel weird," she slurred, wobbling a little. "Kind of sick, I guess. But…I never get sick while flying."

"You're probably coming down with something." Hiccup slipped an arm around her back. "Maybe you should go back to bed."

She pulled away, taking his hands in hers and faking a reassuring smile. "No, I'll be ok—Toothless!"

The dragon forcefully wedged himself between the two, effectively separating them before emitting an odd purring sound and curling around Astrid. Stormfly gave a screech and settled on the ground next to them, raising a wing as if to shield a clutch of hatchlings from the elements.

Astrid threw Hiccup a slightly amused glance. "I…I think they're trying to protect me."

"Protect you?" he blurted, edging closer. "From what?"

At that, Toothless growled again, warning him to stay where he was. Not wanting to test his luck against an agitated Night Fury, Hiccup paused.

"I don't know, from you?" Astrid replied with a shrug, taking a quick sweep of the area and the clear skies above. "I don't see anything else around here that could be threatening to them."

Now that was just insulting. "Hey, I'm not threatening! When in my entire life have I ever been—"

The growl escalated into to a snarl, causing Hiccup to stumble backwards again.

"Oh, c'mon!"

"Toothless," Astrid addressed the dragon directly, laying a hand on his head, "Why don't you and Stormfly go out to the woods for a while, hmm? I'll be fine, I promise."

At the thought of a refreshing (and most likely destructive) run through the trees with a fellow dragon, Toothless's face switched from fierce guardian to happy puppy in half a second. After giving Astrid a gentle lick, he unwound himself and romped away with Stormfly snorting close on his heels.

"Oh, so he listens to you," Hiccup huffed as he resumed his place by his wife's side. "Nice. Very nice."

"Don't take it personally." She leaned into him. "It's just a bad day for everybody, I guess—whoa!"

Hiccup scooped her up in his arms. "Speaking of which," he grunted, "I'm taking you home to rest. Whatever this is, let's nip it in the bud before it gets worse."

"Uunnngh," Astrid groaned. "I don't want to go home. It smells like fish—" She clapped a hand to her mouth, suddenly looking like she was about to be sick.

"Everything on Berk smells like fish. Why are you just noticing this?"

"I have no idea." Astrid squeezed her eyes shut and shook her head. "Let's go to, uh…to the Great Hall and get something to eat."

"Weren't you just about to throw up like three seconds ago? By the way, if you do, there's a good chance I might drop you."

"But absolutely _nothing_ fishy," Astrid went on. "Something sweet or creamy maybe? No, buttery. Definitely buttery."

"Uh, hate to break it to you, m'lady, but we don't exactly have a five course buffet—"

"Ooh, know! I want yak butter parfait. Yeah, that sounds _really_ good."

"Snotlout's favorite dish?" Hiccup raised an eyebrow as he started toward the steps of the Great Hall. "Okayyy, that's not normal. I thought you hated yak butter parfait specifically for that reason."

With an impatient sigh, Astrid rested her head on his shoulder. "I doesn't make any sense, but I feel sick and hungry at the same time. Only for certain things, though, like yak butter parfait."

Hiccup halted. "Y'know, I'm feeling like a trip to see Gothi in the very immediate future would be beneficial to both of us."

"No, I don't wanna see Gothi, I wanna go to the Great Hall and eat yak butter parfait."

"Astrid—"

"No Gothi," she insisted. "Parfait. Let's go."

"Ok, ok," he sighed, trudging onward. "How are you so confusing sometimes?"

She stuck her tongue out at him. "I'm not confusing, I'm getting sick."

"Right, but sometimes it's hard to tell—" He cringed, unable avoid the flick to the chin. "Ow. Guess I deserved that."

"Yes, you did."

"Still, there _are_ some days where you tend to be a little—OW! Ok, shutting up."


	2. Part 2

**Part Two**

As usual, the Great Hall was abuzz with the daily activity of Vikings discussing intertribal affairs, plotting Spring fishing routes, eating large amounts of food, or simply milling around with a few friends while enjoying a drink.

"Whoa, it's warm in here," Astrid said as soon Hiccup carried her bridal-style through the enormous doors. "Has it always been this warm in here?" She took a sniff at the ever-present smoky haze and wrinkled her nose in disgust. "And what's that smell?"

"Vikings," Hiccup replied, setting her down on her feet. "You may have heard of them. Big, hulking hairy guys with helmets, very prone to body odor and violence…also yelling. Lots of yelling."

Astrid rolled her eyes again, but didn't say anything and he took that as a sign to keep walking.

"Hey, guys!" someone greeted as they approached a crackling fire pit.

"Hey, Fishlegs."

The bulky blond rider's face dissolved into a frown. "Astrid, are you ok?"

"I'm fine…well, I will be. Kind of feeling a little under the weather today—"

"A _little_?" came Ruffnut's voice. "Looks like a lot under the weather to me."

She and her brother tromped into the conversation in their typical fashion, each with a hand on their chin as they examined their friend.

"You're right, sis," Tuffnut confirmed. "I've never seen anybody turning that particular shade of green before. Or that rapidly. Ooh, this needs to be documented for science! Get the notebook!"

"Whoooa, hold it." Hiccup caught the two by their collars before they could make it one more step. "Nobody's documenting anything. It's probably some kind of flu—"

Fishlegs blanched. "Is it catching?

"Hope so," said Ruffnut, exchanging a snicker and fist bump with her other half.

"I can't get sick now!" Fihslegs spluttered, grabbing his hair. "I have to clean between Meatlug's toes this weekend!"

"Either this is seriously the most disgusting conversation in history, or I came in at the wrong time." Snotlout shoved his way between the twins, coming to a stop with his arms folded.

"It's a long and delicate process, ok? I need my strength."

"No, it's messed up, that's what it is—whoa." Snotlout's eyes widened at the sight of a disheveled Astrid. "What happened to _you_? You look like you poked a sea shocker."

"Or shocked a sea poker," the twins laughed together, sharing a high five.

"On second thought, maybe coming here wasn't such a great idea…" Astrid mumbled, holding her stomach and sinking onto the nearest bench. "Snotlout, if you don't shut up right now, I'm going to destroy every dream you've ever had of becoming the next Archipelago arm wrestling champion. And I'll enjoy it."

"Ha, who yakked in _your_ nog this morning?"

Astrid lurched and Hiccup intervened before anybody else could make a comment.

"Alright, guys, back off a bit, give her some room—"

"Well, good mornin' to the happy couple!"

Oh no. Gobber. On most occasions, the group didn't mind the presence of the beat-up old blacksmith. In fact, they welcomed it. Today, however, he brought with him a feeling (or maybe it was a smell) of impending doom.

"Though' ye'd like to try a little somethin' I've been cookin' up," he said, flashing his gap-toothed grin. In his remaining hand, he held a large, steaming, bowl of something that looked like the insides of a goat and smelled even worse.

"No, we're good, thanks," Hiccup said quickly, trying to push the large man back where he'd come from. "Yep, we're fine. Nobody's hungry right now."

"Ye sure? It's a mackerel-mushroom-mutton casserole."

"Agh, no, Gobber!"

Gobber easily sidestepped him and offered the bowl to Astrid. "Give'er a whiff, lass, and tell me what ya think."

Astrid's eyes watered and her face drained of all color, making it painfully obvious that she was engaged in an uphill fight with her stomach which was no use whatsoever. With a horrible heave, she lost the battle…all over the stone floor.

"UGGGH!" the group gasped collectively.

"Y'know, all in all, I think the casserole might actually have been worse…"

"That was awesome! Do it again!"

Gobber blinked. "Take tha' as a big 'no', then."

"Ok…" Astrid choked out, raising her head, "let's go see Gothi."

"Good plan," said Hiccup. Pulling an arm over his shoulder, he lifted his wife to her feet and walked her toward doors. "Nothing personal, Gobber!"

….

Out on the landing of Gothi's rickety perch, the tiny old woman examined Astrid from head to toe as Hiccup looked on anxiously. Fishlegs, one of only several people on Berk who could interpret the elder's runic scribbles, had reluctantly obliged to come along but insisted on standing several feet away from the other three.

Gothi was being more thorough than usual, which was all the more worrisome.

"Will she be alright?" the chief asked for about the fifth time. "Do you know what's wrong?"

Without looking away from her patient, the healer held up a hand.

"She says to be quiet," said Fishlegs.

Hiccup rolled his eyes. "Yes, um…thank you for clarifying."

Gothi felt Astrid's forehead, pulled out her tongue and peered into her mouth, took her pulse, poked around her stomach a bit and finally laid an ear to her back to listen to her heartbeat. Strangely, Astrid sat through the ordeal without protest.

There was a tense pause as the elder sat up and narrowed one eye, causing Hiccup to fidget on the Gothi-sized stool he was currently occupying, knees up under his chin. It wasn't the most comfortable or dignified of positions, but there were more concerning things on his mind than his image.

"Hm," Gothi grunted, and began scratching at the dirt on the floorboards with the end of her staff.

Hiccup couldn't help himself. "What's she saying, Fishlegs? Is it bad?"

The elder threw him an annoyed glance, then proceeded to scratch a quick side note. Fishlegs leaned in to get a better look.

"She says, 'with all due respect to the chief, please shut up'."

Hiccup groaned, letting his head drop onto his knees. "Sorry, sorry, go on."

The grating of wood against dirt went on for a disconcerting amount of time before being punctuated with a hard tap. It was only then that Hiccup dared look up again.

"She says…" Fishlegs squinted, processing the runes carefully, "she says that Astrid's…pungent? Wait, that can't be—OW!" He yelped in surprise at the sharp whack to the head from the healer's staff. She rarely missed. "Sorry! Sorry, I mean she says that Astrid's pregnant."

"Ohhh, ok." Hiccup relaxed, laughing a little in relief. "Whew! Glad that's all it—WHAAAT?!"

The chief jumped straight up, banging his head on a beam jutting out from Gothi's roof. While he was busy holding the smarting bump and cursing in pain, Astrid stood as well, a little slower, eyes wide.

"I'm… _w-what_?" she blurted hoarsely.

The wrinkly old woman shrugged and smiled warmly as Hiccup, eyes still watering, embraced his stunned wife and squeezed her tight.

"We're pregnant?! We're pregnant! _We're pregnant_!" He planted a gigantic, sloppy kiss on her lips and held her out at arm's length, grinning from ear to ear. "D'you know what this means? We're gonna have a family! I'm gonna be a dad!"

Astrid forced a nervous laugh as the overly excited chief let go of her shoulders and hopped around, pumping a fist in the air and whooping for the entire Archipelago to hear.

"WHOOHOOO! Best day _ever_!"

He danced over to Fishlegs, who had retreated to a corner looking slightly awkward, and threw his arms as far as they would go around him just because he was there.

"I'm gonna have a baby, Fishlegs! Well, I guess technically Astrid's gonna have the baby…but still, I'm gonna be a daaaaaad!"

And that was when Astrid exploded into tears.


	3. Part 3

**Part Three**

Hiccup held back her hair as she heaved over the side of the bed into a bucket.

"I'm s-sorry," Astrid mumbled for the hundredth time that night as she reemerged and slumped into his arms.

Yet again, Hiccup hugged her close, brushing loose blond strands from her tear streaked face.

"You don't have anything to apologize for," he said gently, also for the hundredth time. "I'm the one who completely lost my mind at Gothi's. I was so surprised and ecstatic…I didn't stop to think about how you might be feeling…"

"You were excited and you have every right to be, but I'm actually _having_ the baby, remember? You brought that one up yourself."

"Uh, yeah, that...probably wasn't the nicest way of putting it," he backtracked, running a hand through his hair. He then took a breath, settling himself. "Y'know, maybe we need to try looking at this from a different angle. A more positive one."

"What do you mean?"

"It's just…we've been talking about this moment for ages and it's finally happened. Yet here we are, acting like it's Ragnarok when we should be celebrating a truly wonderful gift."

"You're not the one hurling into a bucket," Astrid replied flatly.

"True, I…I guess that would kind of make things a little less fun on your end…"

"This _is_ wonderful, I just wasn't expecting it to happen so…so _soon_ ," Astrid admitted, lowering her bloodshot eyes. "We've only been married a year and a half, you're still getting used to all your responsibilities, I'm in the middle of training new recruits to the Berk Guard. H-how are we supposed to…" Her voice quavered and Hiccup quickly grabbed her hair as she made another dive for the bucket.

"Hiccup, I'm terrified," she croaked moments later, sitting up shakily as he tucked her favorite woolen blanket around her shoulders. "I'm a warrior, a dragon trainer. I don't know anything about babies or…or parenting."

He pondered this for a moment. "Honestly, training a tiny human shouldn't be too hard, right? Y'know, gain its trust, establish a bond—hoomf!"

Astrid elbowed him in the gut with a snort. "You're not helping. And it's a _baby_ , for Thor's sake, not a Terrible Terror."

"Well, let's not jump to any conclusions yet," Hiccup coughed, rubbing his stomach. "Especially if it takes after you."

"Watch it, Haddock." She couldn't hide the reluctant smile any longer. "That's our offspring you're talking about. Also, I was _never_ a terror as a kid. That was all Snotlout."

"There she is," Hiccup said, lifting her head up so her eyes met his. " _There's_ the Astrid I know. Just because you're the toughest, most fearless warrior in the whole Archipelago, if I may offer my completely unbiased opinion, doesn't mean you can't be a mother too. And a good one."

She gave a dry laugh. "Really, I'm flattered, but I'm pretty sure having a baby is going to be a lot different from being a warrior, both physically and mentally."

"Maybe not as much as you think. Every day you pull off death-defying stunts on the back of a dragon _you_ trained by yourself. You can kick both the twins' butts at the same time, any day you feel like it. You can take out four guys twice your size in one swing! How will this be different from any other battle you've fought…and _won_? You're strong. You're resilient. You've totally got this."

"Ok, sure, let's say I can successfully muscle my way through the actual birth, Valhalla willing. I still don't know how to be a parent."

"Who does? That's something we'll have to figure it out along the way just like everyone else, I guess. Besides," he gave her a wink, "we've got an entire nine months to prepare."

With a huff, Astrid rolled her eyes and rested her head against his shoulder. For a while the two were quiet, each wrapped in their own tangle of thoughts and worries.

"Hiccup, this…this is huge. I'm not sure I can handle this. I can't do it on my own."

"You don't have to. We're a team and we'll get through this together. And you better believe I'm not letting you out of my sight for the next nine months, even if I have to tie you to me."

"I'd like to see you try," Astrid laughed.

Hiccup flexed one lean arm, pulling up the sleeve and squeezing the barely visible bicep muscle with the other hand.

"Ha, I can take you! I don't know if you've noticed, but I've been working out. I'm getting super ripped—AGH!" He doubled over as Astrid gave him a poke in the abs. "Don't _do_ that!"

She snickered. "Why not?"

"I just really need to pee, that's all." He thought for a second. "Also, I'm a grown man and a mighty Viking chief. It's not proper to poke a Mighty Viking chief like that, especially while he's in the middle of bragging about his gorgeously toned body."

"Hm, you _are_ a grown man and a Viking chief, but are you sure you're as gorgeous and toned as you think you are? Maybe I should check."

She peppered him with another rapid-fire poking attack.

"HEY! AHAHA, STOP! STOP IT—I was serious about needing to pee, by the way—CUT IT OUT, I CAN'T BREATHE!"

Astrid relinquished. "Oh, fine, but only because we have an audience now."

"Yee _what_?!" Hiccup jumped up, swinging around in a panic before noticing the black shape perched in the open rooftop hatch. Bright as gemstones set in dark obsidian, two yellowish-green eyes followed his every move.

"Ugh, sheesh, you couldn't have just told me it was Toothless—T-Toothless! Where've you been all day?"

Oozing like ink out of the hatch, the dragon landed lightly on the floor, then crept past him to curl around Astrid, purring.

Hiccup rolled his eyes. "This again? Really?"

Toothless responded with a loud, obnoxious burp, causing Astrid to stifle another laugh.

"Oho! I see how it is," Hiccup said, turning his back on his insubordinate friend. "Well, then, I know when I'm not…appreciated…wait a second. _Wait a second._ "

"What? What's wrong?"

"Astrid, you're pregnant."

"Yes, we've established this…"

His eyes widened as he swiveled to face them again. "No…no, you're _pregnant_!"

"Umm… trust me, I know. You feeling alright?"

"That's it. That's _it_!" A broad, triumphant smile stretched across Hiccup's face. "That's why you've been acting so weird, Toothless. Astrid's pregnant and…and you _knew,_ didn't you? You and Stormfly knew before anyone else."

Toothless uncoiled a bit, looking pleased and somewhat less frightening.

Hiccup whacked himself upside the head, laughing. "How did I not see this? How did I not put it together until now? Your natural instincts have kicked in, of course, but who knew you guys would go into ultra-protective mode over a human baby?"

Confidence bolstered, the young chief strode toward his dragon as if nothing was out of the ordinary.

"Hiccup, wait a second…" Astrid started.

Hissing, Toothless whipped himself in front of her like an angry cat and stiffened, back arched, eyes narrowed. A faint hint of that unsettling growl bubbled inside his throat, stopping Hiccup dead.

"Ohhhh boy," he breathed, running both hands back and forth through his hair a few times as he stepped back, "This is new. Eheh, this is…we're getting into unfamiliar protective-dragon-behavior territory here."

Toothless blinked and tilted his head as if to agree, creeping forward a bit.

"Ok, bud, listen, just…just hear me out on this. These instincts are obviously powerful enough to warp your perception of me and that _really_ freaks me out, but you know I would never let anything happen to Astrid or the baby—"

The Night Fury rushed him suddenly, forcing him against a wall.

"Toothless, stop!" Astrid shouted.

"Nonono, you have to trust me!" Hiccup gasped. "It's probably not filtering through all that instinctive noise inside your brain right now, but I'm on your side! I promise I'm on…"

Cringing into the wall, he gritted his teeth and squeezed his eyes shut as Toothless leaned in snuffling and snorting and bumping him around roughly with his nose.

"Calm down, Toothless!" Astrid shoved her way between them. "You _know_ he would never let anything bad happen to me."

Toothless considered this for a moment, then backed away allowing Hiccup to release the breath he'd been holding. Astrid knelt beside the dragon, taking his head firmly in her hands.

"There's a lot of crazy stuff going on in your head. I get it, I know the feeling. But I'm going to be relying on both of you in the coming months, so I need you to hold it together and try not to eat Hiccup."

"Yes, please don't eat Hiccup," put in Hiccup.

"Or anyone else. Nobody on this island is a threat and I'm not in any danger. You have to understand that, ok?"

Toothless smacked his lips and wiggled his bottom half.

"Good. Now, I think you have some apologizing to do."

Sheepishly, Toothless slunk past her on his belly, ears drooping and eyes round with shame and apology. Automatically, Hiccup threw his arms around his best friend, dropping to his knees.

"I really hope you're back to normal," he mumbled into the scaly neck while Toothless bowed his head in embarrassment. "It's alright, you couldn't help but do what came naturally, I understand." He paused to look up directly into those big green eyes. "But keep in mind that I _am_ slightly terrified of you at the moment."

Toothless bestowed him with a cheerful lick before flopping to the ground and rolling over to expose his underside. It was more an invitation to make amends than a sign of humility, but it was a comforting sight nonetheless. With a nod, Hiccup took Astrid's hand and the two of them sat down, settling against the dragon's soft, warm belly.

Astrid leaned back with a relieved sigh. "Glad we got that cleared up. I'm not sure I could've handled nine whole months of preparing for a baby _and_ being constantly stalked by an overly protective Night Fury."

"You and me both," Hiccup agreed, then glanced over his shoulder at Toothless. "No more snarling and backing me into walls, ok? I think I might have nightmares."

The dragon crooned another apology, then the room dropped into a deep, more comfortable silence.

"Are you ready for this?" Astrid whispered finally, sounding half asleep.

Hiccup took a breath and pushed it out slowly between pursed lips, letting the full miraculous, terrifying, joyous weight of the adventure ahead of them sink in.

"Ready or not, we're starting a family."

He slipped an arm around his wife, drawing her closer until the tips of their noses touched. Her eyes were closed, expression peaceful and content with the remains of one last reluctant smile at the corners of her lips.

When he spoke again, his voice was so gentle and low and quiet that only she could hear him.

"And there's no one in this world I'd rather start it with than you."


	4. Part 4

**Part Four**

As the months breezed by, Astrid's belly grew and grew, as did her confidence and excitement. After the first three miserable months of nausea and a ridiculously heightened sensitivity to the smells of specific kinds of fish, Astrid welcomed the next stage with open arms. Snotlout had taken charge of the trainees, nobody would allow her to do much flying, if at all, and it was getting harder to sleep at nights, but oddly enough, she wasn't too bothered. In fact, she seemed to be enjoying the increasing attention and her developing bump…unless anyone but Hiccup tried to touch it. One day, on a dare from her brother, Ruffnut had been cavalier enough to come running and squealing in Astrid's direction with her hands outstretched. Unfortunately, she never quite made it owing to the fact that Astrid's fist made a sudden appearance…in her face. No one on Berk ever attempted such a foolish act again.

Hiccup's sanity, on the other hand, seemed to be sliding in the opposite direction. The constant pressure of tribal matters, the worry about his wife and first child and mounting weeks of sleeplessness were taking their toll. More often than not, he found himself falling asleep on his feet and once even tipped over sideways in the middle of an important village council meeting. Luckily, Fishlegs happened to be next to him and broke the fall simply by standing there.

Most of the time, Hiccup willingly gave half of his meals to the increasingly ravenous Astrid or ventured out to retrieve that one specific food item she happened to be craving that day. He held her close while she sobbed uncontrollably for no reason whatsoever, then smiled confusedly as she laughed and talked happily within the next minute. He always attempted to help whenever she went on one of her ferocious cleaning or organizing sprees. And every time she refused it, he made sure to get well out of the way and not touch anything for at least a day afterward.

He let Astrid take over the bed and started sleeping downstairs on the floor next to Toothless every night. It was cold, hard and uncomfortable, but it was slightly easier to sleep without her constantly groaning and changing positions, rolling over and smacking him right in the face, shoving him clean off the bed or mumbling nonsensically to whoever was in her strange pregnant-minded dreams. As far as he was concerned, two and a half hours of sleep instead of one and a well-rested wife were worth the discomfort. Astrid was completely unaware of her nighttime exploits, of course, and Hiccup decided it would probably be best not to worry her. So he worried for her instead.

By the time the last few weeks rolled around, Hiccup was so tired, his nerves so frayed that any mention of Astrid's name made him jump and then bolt for home. Someone (usually Gobber) was dispatched to catch him and carry him back to whatever important task he had been attending to. Then it would take a good ten to fifteen minutes to talk him down and convince him that the baby wasn't coming quite yet.

It didn't help that visitors from around the village had begun dropping by the Haddock home in droves, wishing them luck from the gods, delivering baskets of food and gifts and then sticking around to chat. While the gifts were greatly appreciated, the unwanted advice that came along with them was not. Hiccup had to grit his teeth every time someone knocked on the door, biting back the urge to tell them that he really didn't want to hear it for the tenth time that day and to please come back later, or possibly never, depending on who it was.

Every day it was the same drill. Open the door, accept the gift, get shoved aside by a large Viking woman and five of her children, plaster on a painful grin and listen as she gave Astrid the same spiel the three women before her had. He could almost recite every bit of it from memory:

"Oh, you think you're tired now? Just wait until the baby comes, you'll never sleep again. Make sure you eat plenty of such-and-such to start labor and not too much of this-or-that because they will delay it. It's going to hurt like Thor's thunder, but the key is to relax and breathe and call on Odin every ten minutes. It's completely normal to want to hold on to your favorite weapon rather than your husband during the worst times. Remember to name the baby something awful to ward off the trolls. Do you have enough blankets? Oh, let me give you ten more. Don't let the baby sleep too long during the day and never miss a nighttime feeding. This is by far the best cure for colic and don't let anybody tell you any different. The women in my clan have used it for centuries and it works like a charm. This is the correct swaddling method and do you know how to change a diaper? Here, let me show you for the fiftieth time…"

This was why, when the opportunity came to fly out to a neighboring island on official Berk business, Hiccup didn't give anyone else the chance to even _think_ about volunteering. This was his moment to escape the madness for a while and to breathe, two things he hadn't had the luxury of doing for the past eight and a half months. If he didn't get out sometime within the next week, he was sure he was going to lose it and punch somebody in the face. And that would _not_ be a very chiefly thing to do.

….

Hiccup and Toothless rose early on the morning of their departure, hoping to sneak out before Astrid woke up.

No such luck.

"Hiccup?" she called just as they were about to slip outside.

He stopped, closing his eyes and taking a deep breath before answering.

"Yeah?"

"Where are you going?"

"Uh…outside. Yeah, just outside for…stuff. Be back in a bit…yup." Hiccup caught Toothless's eye roll in his peripheral vision. "What?" he muttered through his teeth. "It's early, ok?"

"Wait…"

Hiccup heard the rustle of covers and the creak of wood as she hauled herself upright. There was a pause and he knew she was sitting on the edge of the bed catching her breath from the tremendous effort. Strong as she was, normal, everyday activities were becoming fairly difficult, even painful. The baby was sitting very low now, and walking any farther than from one end of the house to the other was altogether out of the question.

Toothless tilted his head, looking up at him expectantly, eyes full of concern. Giving him a pat, Hiccup nodded. What was he thinking? It would be incredibly idiotic to leave now that they were so close, even just for a day-long trip to another island.

"Hang on, be right there," he called back, already at the base of the stairs.

When he cleared the top landing, she was still sitting on the bed, leaning back on one arm with the other curled around her large belly. She seemed to radiate with love and motherly bliss, making Hiccup wish he could freeze this moment and keep it close to him forever.

"She's moving," she said, eyes sparkling as he sat beside her. Gently, she took his hand and placed it on the bump. Sure enough, the baby was busy performing some kind of acrobatic feat under his palm, wiggling, stretching and pushing against the walls of its temporary haven.

"How d'you know it's a girl?"

"It's strange, but…" she trailed off, gazing out into space.

"But?" Hiccup prompted.

She squeezed his hand. "I just have this feeling…"

Hiccup leaned in to kiss her forehead. "Well, I don't care what it is as long as it gets here healthy and happy."

She nodded in agreement, then something else seemed to cross her mind.

"Where _are_ you two headed so early?"

Hiccup exchanged a slightly guilty glance with Toothless before spluttering out an answer.

"We were just…uh, that is…we have a small errand to run," he finally admitted. "I know, I know, I should have told you, but I would only have been gone a day, maybe two at most and if I don't get out of here, I'm going to start throwing things…possibly people."

Astrid considered this a moment, the complete lack of expression on her face making him squirm inwardly a little. Would she be angry? Would she let it slide? Would she ask for another whole smoked salmon for breakfast?

"Ok, I'm coming with you."

Hiccup ground a fist into his forehead. "Aagh, I knew you'd be disappointed at me for this and I'm so sorry that I—wait, what?"

"I said I'm coming with you."

Hiccup jumped off the bed like he'd been royally shocked in the behind by a Skrill, landing in front of her with his arms up as if trying to stop an oncoming stampede.

"Wha—no! Nonono, absolutely not. You are _not_ coming with me."

"Um, actually I am. Now help me up."

"Astrid, you're pregnant!" he blurted, flapping his hands at her belly. "Really, _really_ pregnant. Y-you could have this baby any day now and you should definitely _not_ go flying. Not even with me on Toothless. I won't let you. _Toothless_ won't let you! I won't let Toothless let you!"

Seeing that her request for help was a no-go, she began to heave herself slowly to her feet. Taking the hint, Hiccup stepped in to hoist her up the rest of the way while Toothless supported from behind.

"We'll take a boat, then."

Hiccup groaned. "Ok, do you even know what you're saying right now?"

"Of course I do. I'm saying I'm bored out of my Odin-living skull and sick of barely being able to walk and being stuck in the house and listening to all that stupid so-called 'advice'. I want out of here just as much as you do…I want some time with you, Hiccup. Alone. In a boat on the sea where no one can reach us and shove another basket or colic remedy in our faces. Time with you before everything changes."

Not knowing how to counter this argument, Hiccup opened and closed his mouth like a beached fish a few times, ending the show with his jaw hanging wide open. Placing a couple fingers under his chin, Astrid snapped it shut as she waddled by and picked up her axe, swinging it across her back. He couldn't think of a single reason why she would possibly need to bring it along, but apparently she meant business. There was nothing more he could say or do to stop her.

"B-but…what if you go into… Aaagh, this is a really bad idea, Astrid. I'm worried about you and I'm worried about _us_ being 'alone in a boat on the sea where nobody can reach us'. I mean, I can't come up with a scenario that screams 'disaster' louder than this one."

She laid a hand firmly on his shoulders, grinning impishly at the prospect of an unplanned excursion, a day away from the sitting and the waiting that had become the norm.

"Then don't come up with one and stop worrying. I'll be fine, I promise."

Hiccup sighed heavily and ran a hand back and forth through his hair, thinking long and hard about his answer.

"Ok, ok…but we're bringing Toothless just in case."

"Perfect. Let's go." She made for the stairs but stopped, one foot hovering in the air. "Ooh, I almost forgot. Where did the rest of that seriously amazing cheese you brought me yesterday end up? We should take it along." She set the foot down on the step. "And maybe some apples…and salmon and yak milk and a couple loaves of bread and some butter." Another two steps. "Oh, and—"

"Yeah, I'll just go pack up the entire kitchen," Hiccup snorted.


	5. Part 5

**Part Five**

There were still stars in the inky purple sky. Berk was quiet, peaceful, still asleep. The darkened houses and deserted walkways lent a mischievous, sneaky air to the early morning departure.

A chill ran down Hiccup's back, not out of fear or cold, but from the sudden, thrilling surge of excitement at the thought that they were really doing it. They were escaping. When the streams of visitors and well-wishers knocked on the door later that morning, they wouldn't get an answer. The Haddock residence was safely locked, awaiting their return.

Toothless flattened himself as low to the ground as possible, then waited patiently while Astrid tried three different times from three different angles until finally managing to climb aboard. She sat for a moment, catching her breath.

"Wow, that…that was a little harder than…I thought it would be." Her face scrunched up in pain and she clutched at her belly. She had been doing this a lot in the past few days, Hiccup noted.

"I know that face," Hiccup said. "That's the pain face. Where does it hurt?"

"Everywhere."

" _Everywhere_? How can you hurt everywhere?"

"I'm pregnant, that's how. Everything's all mushed up inside me and every time I move, I get this pain shooting down both of my legs…"

"That's it, I'm calling it. Let's go, Toothless, turn her around."

"Nonono, Hiccup, it's completely normal!"

Hiccup stood there for a second, very confused. "It's normal to be in this much pain?"

"Hey, growing a little human inside of you isn't a walk in the meadow, but I told you I'll be fine. Let's get going already. If anybody wakes up and sees me on a dragon, the whole village might go up in smoke."

Hiccup sighed and rolled his eyes. "C'mon, Toothless."

….

It seemed like the skies had never been so clear, nor the sea so calm. Their sails billowed with the breeze and the waters remained gentle. Only the gods themselves could have produced such a day and Hiccup had already thanked them inwardly multiple times.

The item of business on the neighboring island was quickly attended to and suddenly they were back on their private cruise. It was early evening, but the two decided to head back to Berk anyway, looking forward to an evening alone under the stars. Besides, everything had been so smooth and wonderful on the way there, why shouldn't it be on the trip home?

Toothless was perched at the prow, tongue hanging out, snapping at any drop of water that dared detach itself from the waves rolling past the boat. It wasn't a large boat, just big enough to fit two people and a dragon comfortably with plenty of room to spare. There was a neat, sturdy shed-like pavilion at one end, which provided shade from the sun and shelter from the rain, the prospect of which seemed almost laughable at the end of this glorious day. This was where Hiccup and Astrid had been relaxing, lounging on piles of blankets, snacking on bread and cheese and speculating happily about their future, which was looking bright. Astrid rested against a wall, head and back propped with most of the blankets, her swollen bare feet in Hiccup's lap. She grinned, closing her eyes and breathing deeply as he massaged them.

"This…is…amazing," she said. "The boat, the weather, the food, _the company_ …" she glanced at him long enough to give a wink before settling back into her soft nest. "Everything is perfect. Absolutely perfect."

Hiccup had been soaking in the healing effects of the atmosphere as well. He could feel the muscles in his back and neck loosening by the minute. All the worries and stress inside his head were clearing with every breath of fresh, salty air. He could think. He could rest. He could _breathe_. For the first time in months, he was completely calm.

Hiccup smiled.

"See? I told you everything would be fine." Astrid sent that classic self-assured grin at him, the one she used whenever she knew she was right. He got it a lot. "Admit it, this was a great idea."

Hiccup rolled his eyes. "This…was a good idea."

"No, not _good_ , great."

"Ok fine, this was a great idea."

Satisfied with his answer, she snuggled into blankets and was sound asleep within minutes. Gently, Hiccup laid her feet down and pulled a blanket over her, then exited the low pavilion.

Toothless swiveled around, jumping down from the prow to give him an enthusiastic lick.

"Hey, bud," Hiccup laughed, returning with a squeeze. "What a day, huh?"

The dragon snorted, dropping to the ground with a huff. Hiccup sat down next to him, leaning back against his flank with his hands clasped behind his head for one last view of the darkening sky and some gathering clouds.

"More like what a whole nine months," he muttered, letting his eyes slide closed. "I'll sure be glad when this is over."

….

It wasn't clear what woke him up first. All he knew was that there was a distant rumble and someone shouting over top of it. The rumble stopped eventually, but the shrill shouts grew louder until they were almost screams.

And they were screaming his name.

With a gasp, Hiccup sat bolt upright, causing Toothless to jump as well. There was no way to know how long they'd been asleep for sure, but it was apparently long enough for things aboard and beyond their peaceful haven to change drastically. And not at all for the better.

It was dark, the wind no longer a gentle breeze, but nearing a full-on gale. It thrashed their sails and churned the seas around them, tossing and battering the little boat like it was no bigger than a leaf. A flash and another rumble revealed that the storm was not yet at its worst. Roiling black clouds, heavy with rain and power and fury, were stacked up for miles with much more to come. They were headed straight for it with no alternative route.

They had been rash enough to test the hand of Thor…and now they would pay.

"Hiccup!" came the scream.

Astrid's scream.

He was up and by her side in the pavilion within seconds.

"Hiccup!" she said again.

"Hey, it's ok, I'm here." He brushed her hair away from her sweating face and took her hand, trying to appear more reassuring than he felt. "It's just a storm. Nothing we can't handle—"

"No, no, Hiccup, the baby! _The baby's coming_!"

Hiccup's gut lurched, making his heart nearly stop and drop into his stomach. Who needed to be struck by lightning when your wife dropped something like this on you?

"Wh-wha… _WHAT_?!" He yelped once he remembered how to breathe and jumped up, smacking his head on the low ceiling.

Astrid answered with a long, terrible, pained groan through gritted teeth.

"Ok," Hiccup addressed some invisible deity after an impressive string of Viking profanities, "all right, I know I said I'd be glad when this was over, but I didn't mean _right now_!"

"What're you _talking_ —forget it. Hiccup, you have to help me!"

"B-but how?" He waved his arms around in panicked circles in her general direction. "Can't you just keep it in there until—"

"IT DOESN'T WORK LIKE THAT!"

"Ok, ok, seriously stupid question, sorry, but w-what do I do?! I'm a dragon trainer, not a healer! I don't have any _idea_ how to deliver —"

"Well, neither do I, so unless you can train Toothless to be a midwife in the next hour or two, you're it!"

Hiccup froze stiff, utterly shocked, wholly out of his element, entirely at a loss for words, actions and breath.

"Hiccup!" Astrid screamed again, bringing him out of it with a jolt. "Stop blinking and _do_ something! And don't you even _dare_ say 'I told you so'!"

"Wasn't planning on it…" he replied, kneeling to search the dark space for a lantern. "Toothless!" he shouted, snatching one and holding it out. "Gimme some light!"

Without hesitation, the dragon breathed the tiniest fireball at the wick, igniting it instantly and bathing them all in an eerie purplish glow.

"Ok, bud, I need you to signal for help. Plasma bolts. We can't be that far from Berk —"

The yell that came out of Astrid's mouth brought him down next to her like he'd been slugged in the stomach by an angry Valkyrie.

"What?! What's happening?!"

"I'M HAVING A BABY!" She dissolved into cries of agony and fear.

"Astrid," Hiccup shouted over the wind and thunder, taking her pain-contorted face firmly in his hands. "Astrid, listen to me! We can get through this! We can have a baby alone on a boat in a thunderstorm in the middle of the sea because…because we're Vikings!"

"Axe!" was the only word she could get out after another lengthy howl.

"Right, axe, you got it," he obliged immediately, hefting it up and placing it in her outstretched hands.

"We're…we're _Vikings_!" she yelled.

"That's it, that's it! We're Vikings!"

"Vikings!"

"Vikings!"

"AARRRGH!" The axe was hurled through the air, barely missing Hiccup's face before it embedded itself in the wall of the pavilion.

Uhhhhwhoooooa, t-too close!" Hiccup remarked from the other wall, which he'd smashed himself up flat against. "Way too close! Can you maybe at least _try_ not to kill me—"

"HOLY THOR-HAMMERED, ODIN-SMACKING SERPENT OF HELHIEM, THIS HURTS!"

"Ok, ok, uh…cursing is good, I think," he spluttered, spitting out anything he could think of that sounded remotely helpful. "Things are moving along just fine, uh…yes. Yes, everything's…we've got this, Astrid, just hold on to me and—"

She reached, grabbing his hand as the two locked eyes. In hers he saw the shadow of all possible fears rolled into one, and on her face the expression of every kind of pain imaginable. Her chest heaved and her entire body quaked. The sweat and tears glistened on her face for a few seconds in the light of one of Toothless's shots. It was almost more than he could bear in that moment, and if he could have, he would have taken it away from her and laid it on himself.

But he couldn't.

All he could do was be there. All he had to offer were words.

"I…I can't do this," she whispered after a small sob. "Hiccup, just…I c-can't…"

A tear of his own slid down his cheek as he bent to gather her upper half in his arms. She clung to him, clutching handfuls of his shirt as she buried her face into his middle.

"Yes, you can," he whispered in her ear. "You might not think so right now, but you can weather the storm. Both of them. I _know_ you can."

A deafening clap of thunder rolled over their heads as if to add emphasis and he held her tighter leaning over her protectively.

"I know because you're Astrid Hofferson Haddock and you're the most ridiculously amazing and strong person I've ever met. I've seen what you can do when you get it in your head to do something. There's no stopping you from getting what you want and…and I know without a doubt that you want this baby."

She didn't reply.

"Will…will you believe me? Will you trust what I already know?"

She was still for a moment, then gave the slightest nod of her head.

"You're almost there, Astrid. You're so, so close and it'll be over soon if you just remember what I—"

He was drowned out by yet another clap of thunder and an unearthly howl so frightening and primeval it chilled him to the core. It was time and they both knew it.

She heaved herself up on the palms of her hands, teeth clenched and eyes squeezed shut. Hiccup hurried to her feet.

Appearing to have reached some innate, deeply buried reserve of female strength, she growled and began to bear down, falling into an intense sort of rhythmic trance. Hiccup had never seen such an alarmingly, astoundingly _beautiful_ sight in his life. She was strong, but he never knew she had anything in her quite like this. There was nothing more he could say to her or encourage that she wasn't already doing by herself. He pressed her knees back and stared, breathless and awestruck as over and over she forced everything she had, every single bit of strength and stamina and willpower, every bit of Astrid into each push.

Sweat and tears of his own streamed down his face. He shook nearly uncontrollably from empathetic pain and sheer fright of the fierce animal his wife had transformed into. But he swallowed it, determined to see this through with her to the very end, whatever end that may be…

And then, during a startling, miraculous lull in the storm outside the boat and the one within their little shelter, came a tiny cry.

….

Gobber stood on the end of the dock, lantern in hook, straining to see over the waves and through the solid wall of rain. Having been informed of Hiccup's errand the day before, he was a little wary of the young chief leaving his wife alone even for a day, but had nearly died when he realized he had taken Astrid with him.

Almost every hour since the discovery, he'd vigilantly made the trek to the docks. Standing there like a sentinel guard dog, he waited patiently with a hunting horn on his belt, ready to call for help as soon as he saw their sails come up over the horizon.

As the day turned to night and the hours wore on, he became more and more convinced that something was wrong and gave up taking breaks altogether. He watched the thunderclouds roll in, growing nastier and darker by the minute, and his heart sank. A small boat like theirs wouldn't have much of a chance of making it through that beast of a storm unscathed, if at all.

 _Odin help them,_ he prayed in desperate hopes that the gods would have mercy on that little family riding somewhere beyond on the back of an angry sea.

He began to lower his head, but stopped as he witnessed a streak of purplish-white shooting up into the sky where it burst and hung there for a while before fizzling out. It was far away and somewhat faint, but evidently powerful. Powerful enough to illuminate the clouds and make them glow brighter than any bolt of lightning ever could. Powerful enough to be seen like a beacon for miles. Powerful like dragon fire…

"Toothless," he whispered to himself as it dawned on him. "Et's a signal. That'll be Toothless sendin' up a signal or I'll eat my hook!"

Waving the lantern in the air for the nightly watch to see, he put the horn to his lips and blew a long, clear note. It was almost comical how fast he pivoted and dashed lopsidedly up the path, however, he didn't get far before a crowd came running down the opposite way, almost overtaking and trampling him.

"A signal," Gobber wheezed, gesturing out to sea. "Toothless's bolts! They're in trouble!"

The group rushed past, spinning him around like an off-balanced top as they hurried to the ships. Gothi was among them as well as Snotlout, the twins, Eret, Fishlegs and several other burly villagers to handle the oars.

"Whoa, hey, wait for me!" Gobber called.

….

Toothless drooped in the hammering rain after sending up another plasma bolt. Though he fired them intermittently, they were weakening as his energy and firepower drained. Behind him in the shelter, huddled in damp blankets, Hiccup cradled a pale and violently shivering Astrid. In her arms, wrapped in the shirt off Hiccup's own back was their tiny baby girl.

After seeing to Astrid and the baby, Hiccup had run out to take down the sails. It wouldn't do much to ease the tossing of the boat, but it was at least something to keep them from being altogether blown off course until help arrived…if it did at all.

Their situation was looking grim. Hiccup was sure he had never felt so frightened and sick in his entire life, though he bottled it up under a stubborn lid of denial in an effort to keep calm and be available for Astrid both physically and emotionally. Denial that he could possibly pass out at any minute. Denial that they were in such a mess in the first place.

 _Breathe,_ he told himself. _Keep breathing…_

"One more, bud," Hiccup said aloud to the dragon. "Gimme just one more blast and then you can rest."

The dragon slowly turned his head skyward, throat glowing as the fire built up inside him. Then with a loud whoosh, the final bolt shout out of his mouth into the stormy sky, shimmering feebly before going out. With that, Toothless flopped down with his head and shoulders through the door of the shelter.

Hiccup gave him a thankful scratch. "Thank you, bud. You did everything you could."

Toothless returned with a low, exhausted rumble.

"M-maybe you and Toothless should f-fly out and look for help?" Astrid mumbled.

Hiccup shook his head, wrapping his arms tighter around his family.

"I'm not leaving you two here alone. There's absolutely no way."

The three were quiet for a long time, wondering what kind of fate they were destined for. They no longer had any say in it as it was them against the elements now. But Hiccup promised himself that whatever happened, he would do every last thing he could to ensure that Astrid and the baby would have a fighting chance. Even if it meant losing his own life in the process.

Astrid rested her head against his chest, peering down at the little sleeping face peeking out of Hiccup's bundled shirt.

"She's beautiful," she murmured.

"Yes, she is." Hiccup couldn't help but smile. "That's all from you, m'lady…"

Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Toothless raise his head suddenly, ears pricking up and nostrils flaring.

"What is it, bud?"

The dragon got to his feet, scrabbling out to prop his front legs on the boat's side.

"I'll be right back," Hiccup said, trying not to jostle his wife and child as he unwrapped himself.

What he saw when he joined Toothless made him sob with happiness and relief. Charging to their rescue was none other than one of Berk's finest ships, filled to the brim with familiar faces and bringing with it hope and safety.

Before long, strong, friendly hands were lifting Astrid and the baby into the bigger ship while a few others tethered the smaller boat to it for towing home. Toothless climbed aboard eagerly, snooting and snuffling about for fish or anything else anybody might have brought with them.

And then it was Hiccup's turn. Reaching up, he found Gobber's arms and they lugged him over the side like he weighed nothing at all. Somebody threw a blanket around his bare torso

"Glad t'have ya back, chief," said Gobber, whacking him between the shoulder blades. "Ya look a fright, though, I'll tell ya that."

"That's because…" Hiccup's vision began to spin and he staggered forward a step, taking a fistful of Gobber's shirt in both shaking hands. "That's b-b-because… Gobber, I just…I just d-delivered my own…" he slurred disbelievingly before collapsing in a dead faint.

"Yup, that'll do et," Gobber said, catching him under the arms.


End file.
